In the final episode of To Be Delicious, Anna considers the future of MSG in the UK. Drinks culture has an inherent playfulness and creativity that makes it the perfect experimentation lab for seeking out where MSG might go next. She meets two key figures in London (and the world!)'s bar scene to understand how they're using it as an ingredient, and how umami as a flavour presents itself in drinks.

Ryan Chetiyawardana, whose goes by the moniker Mr Lyan, has bars that have reshaped cocktail culture in the UK and around the world, shares how his approach to bartending and recipe development within drinks makes space for savoury and umami flavours. And Cyan Wong, bartender and Schweppes brand ambassador, mixes a unique savoury cocktail for Anna and Lucy.

Watch Ryan’s new TV show, Mr Lyan’s Taste Trips, where he travels the world exploring flavour through drinks on YouTube https://youtube.com/@mrlyanstastetrips?si=fyLXUMDnv8H2_8eS

In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural heritage.

Credits:

Hosted by @annasulan

Produced by @dearlovelucy & @annasulan

Original theme music by @midorijaeger

Podcast artwork by @npl_illustration

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

The series is completely editorially independent and was made possible, along with Anna's wider research, by support from the European Committee for Umami and Ajinomoto.

Anna's book, Chinese and Any Other Asian: Exploring East and South East Asian Identity in Britain is out now! Order here.